Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

Chapter 135 A Special Commendation for the One with the Nickname Xie Xun!

"A code name..."

Wayne pondered for a moment, countless names flashing through his mind. He considered going all out with the classic name, since he was already called Wayne, why not Batman? Or simply "Bat"? And as a golden-maned lion, it would be a shame not to give him the nickname "Golden Lion King," a fitting tribute to all the novels he'd read. But in the end, considering he didn't want to be too embarrassed when others called him by his name in the Tower of Babel, he carefully followed the naming rules and his current identity, choosing a Victorian name.

"Call me paradox."

A paradox typically refers to a proposition that, when reasoned logically using generally accepted methods, leads to a conclusion that contradicts "usually acceptable views." In other words, the conclusion is contradictory. To put it simply and somewhat inaccurately, it refers to two opposite things that cannot coexist.

This is very much in line with Wayne's identity. If it weren't for his miraculous time travel, he would never have come to the land of Terra, and Terra would never have had a Prince Victoria Aslan who held such red ideology as him—in Terra's current environment, someone like him could not possibly appear naturally. His appearance is a paradox for Terra itself.

Secondly, it's also a little bit of Wayne's personal motives and quirky sense of humor. "Paradox," besides being the well-known translation of "paradox," is also the name of a Swedish gaming company, CD96. And this CD96 happens to produce several games in the historical strategy genre. As a qualified member of the Fourth Scourge, choosing this codename for himself is a kind of tribute and remembrance. It's also a glorious mission.

Before, I was merely altering predetermined history in a virtual world composed of a bunch of data and code. But now, I am truly in a world where I can glimpse the future, and I am doing my best to change everything in the future.

I have changed the fate of many people! Vina, Theresa, Chen, Swire, Saria, Himeru, Nine, Paradox, I change the world in the name of paradox, defy the world to seek different endings, and never act according to so-called conventions and common sense, so I am a qualified Fourth Calamity.

[Wayne Bruce selects the national policy "A New World"] Policy duration: Unknown. Effect: Overturns everything, transforms the world.

Kal'tsit opened her mouth, muttered the somewhat obscure word to herself, nodded, placed her hands on the keyboard, and solemnly typed the code name 【paradox】 after Wayne's name.

"A very meaningful and pleasant-sounding code name."

She smiled and nodded, happily extending her hand, looking into Wayne's eyes, and said seriously:

"Welcome to the team, Mr. Paradox."

Wayne nodded and squeezed the slightly cold hand in return:

"Looking forward to working with you in the future, Dr. Kal'tsit."

After saying that, they both almost simultaneously raised their eyebrows and laughed. Kal'tsit chuckled and rested her head against Wayne's chest. Wayne raised his hand, hesitated for a moment, and this time, gently placed his hand on Kal'tsit's head. Kal'tsit's ears perked up instantly, like a startled, wary cat. Just as Wayne was about to let go, she slowly lowered her ears, remaining nestled against his chest, saying nothing.

Even so, Wayne didn't dare to pet the old lynx. Such intimate contact was probably Kal'tsit's limit; any further and she might really explode.

Wayne's gaze drifted to the palace window, illuminated by the cool moonlight. A silvery sheen bathed the plants in the palace gardens, the only sounds the low chirping of crickets. Wayne didn't want to break this rare tranquility, nor disturb Kal'tsit who had finally found a moment's rest. He remained motionless for a long while before finally speaking in a low voice:

"It really feels a bit strange being addressed like that, Dr. Kal'tsit."

There was no response to his voice. Wayne looked down and found that Kal'tsit was lying on his lap, breathing softly and evenly.

"Kal'tsit? Asleep?"

Wayne scratched his head, somewhat amused and exasperated. It was almost October, and the weather in Londinium had already turned to autumn. Sleeping like this would make him catch a cold.

But if she moves now, Kal'tsit will definitely wake up. She finally found a quiet and safe place to rest... Oh well, she'll just have to accommodate the lynx tonight.

Wien tried to remain still, took off the thickest cloak from his formal attire, and draped it over Kal'tsit's back. Then he took out his phone from his pocket, turned off the flash, and, using the bright moonlight that just illuminated half of Kal'tsit's body, pressed the shutter button.

"Click".

A barely perceptible sound.

Wayne excitedly opened the chat software, uploaded the photo, and sent it along with the caption "Goodnight, Lynx" to Miss "Goodnight" in Ursus.

...........

Ursus, the far north tundra. The weather was fair, with no blizzards or heavy rain, and the endless sky was ablaze with stars—a sight that Lentinium, the birthplace of steam technology, hadn't seen in nearly a century.

Theresa instructed Nine to stop about ten kilometers away from the infected guerrillas. This was a safe distance—far enough to avoid detection by the guerrillas' sentries and ensure they could rendezvous with the guerrillas the next day. Together with Mudrock, who had extensive experience in wilderness survival, she set up a portable Originium generator and a mobile signal base station. Although the signal was very weak, it was enough to ensure they could connect to the nearest wilderness signal tower and avoid being forced into isolation in the wilderness.

These sparsely distributed signal stations in the wilderness were established by messengers, caravans, and natural disaster messengers traveling through the wilderness. Their purpose was to provide early warnings of potential natural disasters approaching cities, or to receive the latest dispatch instructions and travel to cities to accept message requests or deliveries. Otherwise, if natural disaster messengers relied entirely on walking to report messages, by the time they discovered information about a natural disaster and ran back to the mobile city to report, the disaster would have already arrived.

Merchants and ordinary messengers traveling through the wilderness could also connect to these signal towers to learn about nearby cities and accurately locate those moving cities, so as not to arrive at their destination only to find that the city had already moved on, thus avoiding a wasted trip.

People are still full of wisdom.

Theresa opened the official website of the city of Ursus, and the homepage featured a huge promotional image: the Victorian coat of arms, with a lion and red dragon flanking a crown, and the Ursus coat of arms with a double-headed eagle and a five-pointed star. Below was a string of large Ursus characters, meaning: The Victorian capital, Londinium, is about to connect with Ursus's Saint-Germain Castle; the Aslan royal family will be visiting the Ursus Empire!

"Did Wayne reach an agreement with Ursus so quickly?"

Theresa sighed in surprise. Even in the freezing wilderness, her heart was warmed. She knew why Wayne had come to Ursus—to support her.

Just as I was thinking about Wayne, a message popped up on LINE.

Bruce to [Goodnight]: "Goodnight, Lynx" image.jpg

Theresa was slightly taken aback. She opened the message and saw Kal'tsit's serene and peaceful face under the moonlight. Despite being thousands of years old, she looked no different from an unsuspecting young girl when she was asleep.

Theresa noticed the red cloak draped over Kal'tsit, a set of the red cloak that Vina jokingly called "the thick quilt," and it was Wayne's formal attire. She raised an eyebrow, a helpless smile appearing on her face, shook her head, and deftly typed a few words on the keyboard before clicking send.

Goodnight: "Wow~"

Wayne quickly replied: "Is it cold in the snowfield?"

Theresa exhaled a breath of cold air, turning to look at Mudrock. Mudrock was being pestered by Surtr, who was only wearing a tight-fitting outfit and shivering from the cold, begging for a hug. Forced into a corner, Theresa slapped the floor and made a mud hut out of dirt, shooing Surtr inside. Surtr, knowing perfectly well what to do, dug a hole in the mud hut, activated Levadin, threw the burning Levadin into the hole, and covered it with dirt. The mud hut quickly warmed up with this Originium Arts-style underfloor heating.

She was surprised and took a picture of the scene, then sent it to Wayne.

Wayne blinked and replied, "Beggar's chicken?"

Theresa couldn't help but laugh out loud.

“Sarkaz only feels cold because of loneliness,” she replied. “I’m not cold. (*^▽^*)”

Click send.

The chat interface was silent for half a minute, and Theresa finally received Wayne's reply:

Bruce: [?]

Theresa put her phone away, satisfied.

Hmm, it's not cold at all, it's actually a bit warm.

Chapter 136 He Doesn't Even Have Hisself in His Mind

Regardless of the current situation in the country, Ursus remains a widely recognized major power in Terra. As this was an official visit, and given that Victoria and Ursus are not too far apart, a direct city-to-city docking was chosen instead of using aircraft.

Ten days ago, Londinium departed its original cruise route and docked with the Ursus Empire's Saint-Strong Fortress at the designated location. As the two cities' docking zones officially merged, merchants from both countries eagerly presented their pre-arranged documents and rushed into their respective designated commercial areas with carts full of goods. Meanwhile, Wayne, the protagonist of this visit, after thorough preparations, accompanied by a translator fluent in Ursus, entered the magnificent imperial palace in the heart of Saint-Strong Fortress in the emperor's private carriage.

The architecture of Ursus differed drastically from that of Victoria. Influenced by the Nightmare Khans who once ruled this land, the architectural style of the Ursus Empire was characterized by the boldness of nomadic peoples. Even a single door, a side door, was meticulously crafted to be so tall that two Wendigos wouldn't even touch the frame. This rugged style was once criticized by the elegant and refined Victorians as "barbarian art." Later, during the reign of the Ursus Emperor, the Great Conquest began. Ursus annexed more than ten countries, including Qazimir, Letania, and large swathes of territory belonging to Old Kazdel, and for the first time, defeated Victoria on the main battlefield.

When the once-proud steam-armored troops were crushed by the Sarkaz Wendigo warriors, Victoria realized that the once-savage nation, struggling to gain independence from the Nightmare Khan, had now become a force to be reckoned with on Terra. Gradually, the phrase "the art of the barbarians" began to dwindle, and Victoria began to view Ursus as an adversary in every way, using her well-established world system to confine the Ursus Bear to the desolate far north.

The reason why such a vast country could have such a poor economy is not only due to a series of internal factors triggered by wars, but also the external factors of Victoria.

Therefore, when Fyodor officially met Vayne in the reception hall of the Ursus Palace, his expression was very complicated.

On the one hand, he knew that his reforms would inevitably affect Victoria's interests, especially regarding the various aspects of Victoria's economic blockade of Ursus. To break this blockade through negotiation rather than war, he would have to relinquish some of his other interests. On the other hand, he worried that Wayne would use this opportunity to raise some unacceptable obstacles.

Let's try to find out what Prince Victoria has to say first.

After silently reciting his prepared speech, Fyodor's face broke into a formulaic, bright smile. He opened his arms and hugged Wayne, who was walking towards him.

Wayne frowned, feeling dizzy from the pungent smell of alcohol emanating from the old man.

“Your Highness the Prince of Wales, may I call you Mr. Bruce?”

Fyodor spoke enthusiastically. Wayne waved his hand:

"Just call me Wayne."

Mr. Bruce is not a title that just anyone can use; it is reserved for Theresa.

Fyodor's eyes lit up. The fact that Wayne had asked him to call him by his first name showed that he was at least well-intentioned and intended to make friends and cooperate.

"Please have a seat, Mr. Wayne."

Fyodor smiled and pointed to the sofa next to him. Wayne nodded and sat down. The two translators walked to the small stools next to them, took out their notebooks, checked the mission and the accents, gave each other an OK sign, and focused intently on the two leaders.

“Mr. Fyodor, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Wayne sized up the emperor of Ursus. His face was that of a typical Caucasian, with a high nose bridge, prominent brow bones, sharp features, and deep contours, especially his striking eyebrows and beautiful grey eyes. He was dressed in the formal attire of the Ursus emperor, and the sword he wore, along with the bright red floor-length cloak, gave him a rather imposing air.

He was about a head taller than Wayne, which made Wayne seem to have a slightly weaker natural presence. However, this was not very important. If Wayne needed an imposing presence, once the Mandate of Heaven was activated, even ten Fyodors wouldn't have that kind of all-controlling aura.

Hearing Wayne's casual greeting, Fyodor smiled and nodded: "There's a Chinese idiom, 'to feel like old friends at first sight,' and I think that's exactly what we are. Even though it's our first meeting, we're already friends."

Wayne raised an eyebrow. Although Fyodor's rolled "r" sounds a bit awkward, Wayne could barely understand the familiar Yan language even without a translator. He was even more astonished when the translator finished the long, terrifying string of Ursus language into Victorian.

This is something they've done. They even found out I like Chinese culture, and then they tried to get close to me in the Chinese language?

Hmm...it's not entirely incomprehensible. My recent trip to Lungmen, though kept secret, couldn't be kept from everyone. Even if Victoria kept it a secret, Wei Yanwu wasn't completely airtight. Those high-ranking foreign leaders who wanted to find out eventually did find out.

Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle; Wayne hasn't done enough research in this regard.

Thinking about it, Wayne also cooperated by showing a happy expression on his face, picking up the glass of water on the table, and saying:

"Yes, it was like meeting an old friend. If His Majesty Fyodor is willing, I would be honored to become your friend."

After saying that, he poured a mouthful into his mouth.

The moment the water touched his lips, he regretted it. This wasn't water at all; it was more like the water of life!

But he still had to keep up appearances. He swallowed the slightly stimulating liquid bit by bit, and immediately felt half of his body burning up.

"So generous!" Fyodor looked at the scene in surprise, a rare expression of genuine praise appearing on his face.

"Was it good?" Wayne grinned.

"Awesome!" Fyodor picked up his own glass, but he was much more ruthless, downing the entire glass of the Water of Life in one gulp.

This was originally a prop he used to show Vayne the domineering and unrestrained nature of the Ursus people, while also suppressing Vayne's momentum. Who knew that Vayne would drink it so casually first? Now he has fallen into a passive position. If he doesn't finish this drink, the effect may be counterproductive.

Seeing that the atmosphere had inexplicably heated up, Wayne pressed his advantage, saying, "We'll talk about whether it's enjoyable or not later! Right now, there's only one thing on my mind!"

Fyodor asked curiously, "What is it?"

Wayne smirked: "That is, how to help Mr. Fyodor get Ursus sorted out!"

Chapter 137 Gold Coins for a Duke

Fyodor's eyes lit up upon hearing this. He was about to ask Wayne what she meant, but he straightened up and then steadied himself, pretending the small movement was just adjusting his posture to maintain the composure of an emperor. Wayne pretended not to notice Fyodor's subtle movement and continued speaking to himself:

"Mr. Fyodor is a friend of the people of Terra. It is because of you that the Ursus Empire has been pulled out of the quagmire of war, and the people of Ursus and Terra, who have suffered so much from the war, have finally gained peaceful and tranquil days. You have truly made an indelible contribution!"

This flattery struck a chord with Fyodor. While the entire empire was still basking in the war profits brought by the late emperor's frenzied expansion, only he clearly saw the true nature of suffering beneath this bubble economy. Ursus was now a cradle of misery. The upper-class nobles and middle-class officers rose through the ranks and amassed fortunes through war, expanding their territories and becoming incredibly wealthy. But the lower classes suffered immense burdens from the mandatory conscription laws and military control over food, bound to the land for life. In the event of natural disasters or man-made calamities, they could easily become pitiful serfs, generation after generation, slaves and servants. The royal family at the top was no better off. Their power was hollowed out, the central government could not check the local powers, and the local dukes acted recklessly, relying on their military achievements, land, and private armies. Fyodor was powerless to stop it.

Even the customs duties were divided up by the various grand duchies within the Ursus Empire. To use a somewhat inappropriate analogy, by the time a foreign merchant transports his goods to Saint-Jun Castle to sell, and the tax collectors of Saint-Jun Castle go to collect the customs duties, it's already too late. The taxes have been collected for ten years, and the merchant is long gone, with no profit left to be made.

Fyodor understood that what he needed now was not guns or cannons, and even money was not the main point. What he needed was a confidant, recognition, and help! Wayne's words undoubtedly hit Fyodor's sweet spot, hitting him right where it hurts and flattering him to his heart.

Fyodor finally couldn't contain his sigh and let out a long exhale, saying:

“The one who understands me is Wayne.”